The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-08-04
Iexas To-Day.

To-day is the day of the State election in
Texas. 1t is the first election in ten years
when there has been any doubt Of the result
Only twice in the last decade has the Demo-
cratic majority fallen below one hundred
thousand, and in 1884, when there were four
electoral tickets in the field, Grover Cleve-
land had plurality of 1s2, 16O and MAORI
ty OF 125, 313 in total vote of 325.305. The
Democratic party. strong in a faithful rank
and file and in good organization, has had
everything its own way. The Republican
party in 1884 managed to poll 1914 votes
for Blaine, which was not half the Demo-
cratic strength, but in the whole great State
of Texas St. John received only 1884 votes,
but few more than the 1921 east for the la
Dor ticket headed by Benjamin f. Butler In
1884 the political Prohibitionists of Texas
were too few to be of any Importance as
political quantity. There was. however, a
sentiment growing among the people of
Texas, especially among thu white people,
who largely compose the Democratic party,
in favor Of prohibition. Reagan, then Con-
gresham, became aware of it and foretold
some of its possibilities long before it was
manifested in any open manner. But the
magnitude Of the new movement was so little
realized by the other leading Democratic pol
iticians of the State that at the Democratic
State convention of 1886, certain far-seeing
prohibitionists Of the party were allowed to
put into the platform plank declaring that
local option, mild form OF prohibition, was
not inconsistent with Democracy. The dis
astrous effects Of this resolution were not
foreseen at the time. But last March the
Legislature sitting at Austin passed joint
resolution submitting constitutional pro-
hibitory amendment to the people Even
then the strength of the prohibition move
ment was not realized. The resolution is
said to have passed the Legislature, not
wholly on its own merits, but be-
cause the anti-prohibitionists thought it
a good time to settle once for all
the fate Of movement that APP
peared to be growing in possibilities of mis-
chief. "rhe people Of Texas, If appealed to
now," the anti-prohibitionists reasoned,
will strike death blow at this dangerous
fanarlcism." When the canvass commenced
this summer the first effort of the anti-pro-
hibitionists was to secure the support of the
Democratic machinery of the State. But
convention, made it impossible for Chair
man Exall, of the State Democratic Execu-
tive Committee to coerce the party into a
united opposition to the new movement
Prominent prohibition Democrats. when re-
monstrated with for disloyalty to the Demo-
cratic party, simply pointed to the Austin
plank, and Chairman Exall wisely concluded
to refrain from making still more complete
the inevitable disruption of his party, by I'M
wise interference. Many of the most prom
inent Democrats of the State pronounced for
prohibition. Old John H. Reagan, who has
served the Democrats of Texas for more than
thirty years, in the National House of Rep
resentatiyes before the war, in the Confed-
crate Congress, in Jefferson Davis's Cabinet,
In the National House of Representatives af-
ter the war, and is now to go to the National
Senate, came out sQuarely for the new cru
SADIE. With him were ex-United States Sena-